2nd hand uniforms nothing to be ashamed of says South Cotswold MP
Roz Savage says more needs to be done to lift families out of poverty
Thousands of young people across the country will be returning to school this week and for a lot of parents that means buying new school uniforms.
With rising costs many have been turning to uniform exchanges and 2nd hand shops to get their children’s uniforms.
The South Cotswold MP recently spoke out about poverty in her constituency where more and more people are becoming unable to afford their essentials.
Roz Savage has called for urgent action following the release of the South Cotswold Food Poverty Report 2024 to 2025, which shows food insecurity worsening across the region.
The report, from Cirencester Foodbank and local partners, reveals that over 3,500 emergency food parcels were distributed last year, with nearly half going to children.
The report highlighted that over a third of recipients had some form of income, including from employment. “It is appalling that in an area often seen as affluent, people in work still can’t afford to feed their families,” she said. “Food poverty is simply poverty, and it’s driven by political choices.”
When asked about those who were struggling with uniform costs Roz said: “There are some exchanges for school uniforms where families can get access to second hand ones.
“As someone who shops in charity shops myself, I don’t see any shame in that.
It is recycling and kids grow out of uniforms so fast.”
She added: “I know it can be tough for kids, they don’t want second hand stuff.
“But it is a way for families to cope until we manage to persuade the government to do what is necessary to lift families out of poverty and this national scandal.”
A Government spokesperson said:
“This Government is determined to change people’s lives for the better, helping them out of poverty and tackling the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years.
“We are reforming the broken welfare system we inherited so we can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting those who need it most.
“As part of our Plan for Change we are launching 750 breakfast clubs across the country, providing a £1 billion crisis support package and making changes to Universal Credit to give a £420 boost to over one million households.”